Lancashire Badger Group

Badger Surveys

We maintain an extensive database of all the known badger setts in Lancashire. As well as knowing where the entrances holes are to the setts, members of the group have an immense amount of knowledge about the habits and travels of badgers in and around Lancashire. In many cases, we have mapped not just precise sett locations, but we also know virtually every badger path, latrine, main and outlier sett and foraging grounds for a sett and its local environment. We have divided Lancashire into six "satellite" areas - these being broadly in line with Lancashire Police divisions. Each satellite area has its own "active membership" who are allocated one or more setts, which they monitor on a regular basis. They continually make notes after each sett visit to record the status of the sett so that up-to-date, accurate information is readily available, which would be used in any future prosecution.

In addition to these routine checks, new areas are surveyed to establish trends in badger populations. To this end, the badger group also surveys specified 1km² areas to provide data for the National Badger Survey.

As well as helping us to understand the life and needs of the badger, this knowledge and experience puts us in a unique position to act as consultants, when the needs of Lancashire's badgers conflict with those of humans or other species.

For example, if some-one wants to develop on or near "green" land, there is a legal requirement that they protect the badgers and their setts, and take their living and feeding needs into account.

Examples of possible development issues include things like new flats/houses, offices or factories, as well as access roads, fresh and waste water pipes, flood protection schemes, utility cables, new woodlands, rail-side clearances, forestry, tree-felling or woodland clearances, and the temporary or permanent erection of pylons, masts, towers and wind turbines. All these types of development pose a potential risk of harm to badgers; as well as a legal and commercial risk to developers.

We act as a consultant for virtually all the Planning Authorities in the county, assessing planning applications to establish which developments may affect badger setts and territories. We can carry out surveys and give help and advice on how the developer can fulfil his legal obligations with regard to badger legislation. Guidance can also be provided on the construction of artificial setts where badgers need to be moved to a better or safer location.

We can provide two types of badger survey which will help establish the framework for how badgers can be protected; as well as helping the developer follow both the letter and spirit of badger protection laws.

Desktop Survey

Initially, we would recommend that developers ask us for a "Desktop Survey". If the developer has a location in mind, we can provide a report from our database of whether we have any records of badger setts or foraging grounds which would be affected by the development. This is a low-cost value-for-money service which we provide only to bona-fide developers. Such an enquiry remains confidential between us and the developer, so it is ideal if a developer is investigating land with a view to purchase or already owns land but is investigating the options for developing part or all of it. Importantly too, a Desktop Survey is quick and easy to do at any time of the year.

However, if badgers will be affected, a Desktop Survey will not be good enough to satisfy the needs of planning authorities or those of Natural England. They need to establish that a full badger survey has been done to establish the full facts on the ground.

If you are interested in a Desktop Survey, please contact us at database@lancashirebadgergroup.org.uk

Ground Survey

We have members who can conduct full badger surveys on the ground. As well as identifying currently used badger setts, we will also need to locate badger paths, latrines, feeding/foraging grounds and possibly territorial boundaries. We also need to determine whether a badger sett remains "legally" in use - even if a badger has not been seen in it for a while. Surveys like this tend to be easier (and therefore quicker) to do in the winter or early spring, when vegetation is shorter. It is possible to do surveys when vegetation is tall and dense, but these will take more time.

A Ground Survey has a higher cost than a Desktop Survey, as they may involve several days and nights work, as well as preparing a full report for the developer; and a public report which can be submitted with any later planning application.

If you are interested in a Ground Survey, please contact us at enquiries@lancashirebadgergroup.org.uk.